Cutting out the F-word: Complaints surge at TV swearing

Record numbers of TV viewers and radio listeners are making official complaints about unacceptable levels of swearing in programmes.

Television watchdog Ofcom fielded 500 complaints in the first three months of this year, and has been asked to rule on 1,159 during 2009. This represents a dramatic surge since 2006, when 841 complaints were made.

Critics last night described the amount of bad language on television and radio as ‘unacceptable’ and called for clearer guidelines and tougher penalties for broadcasters.

Ofcom recently reprimanded MTV Live for a broadcast featuring the singer Lady Gaga, who was heard urging the audience at a music festival to ‘put your hands up in the air and dance, you mother*******’.

The event was broadcast on November 2 at 4pm when, the official report on the incident noted, ‘children could be watching’.

MTV Networks Europe apologised and no further action was taken.

The BBC was also chastised for a broadcast from the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi on November 1 last year, featuring an impromptu conversation between drivers Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Jenson Button when Button was heard to remark: ‘****, I should have waited.’ Ofcom accepted an apology from the BBC.

Another BBC broadcast, on Radio 5 Live, was found to be in breach of guidelines over an interview with US rock band Rage Against The Machine, on December 17.

During a rendition of the band’s No1 single Killing In The Name, lead singer Zack de la Rocha chanted ‘**** you, I won’t do what you tell me’ four times before the song was faded out.

Ofcom pointed out that the BBC must have been ‘well aware in advance that the original lyrics contained very strong language’ and should have cut the song sooner. But no further action was taken.

Chef Gordon Ramsay has been endlessly complained about, most recently for saying the f-word 115 times during Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare, on Channel 4 last year.

Vivienne Pattison, director of Mediawatch-UK, said: ‘This kind of language is not tolerated in the office or in the playground, so why is it on television?

‘Ofcom’s guidelines should also be tightened up so it is really clear what is acceptable and what is not. And when a company breaches the guidelines there should be real sanctions.’

A spokesman for Ofcom said it had no evidence that offensive language is increasing on TV or radio. He added: ‘We think our sanctions are sufficiently strong and that the Broadcasting Code is sufficiently clear.’